The Basque Culture at The Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2016

The Basque Country will have the opportunity to showcase its culture from June 29 to July 10 at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C, a festival that has been showcasing peoples and cultures from around the world since 1967 through a series of public activities.

This year, the Basque Country has been designated by the organization of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as a guest “culture”, and the event will serve as a platform to show the world the culture, gastronomy, language, professions, music, and sports of the Basque Country.

In the National Mall in Washington D.C., the team of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has built a fronton where the bulk of activities will take place, including the exhibitions of Basque rural sports and Basque artisanal crafts. The Basque Diaspora will also take part in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival through a series of workshops and talks planned by the various Euskal Etxeak. In short, the Festival is a great opportunity to publicize the culture and identity of the Basque people beyond our borders.